"Is this Flower Immortal Lake?"
Nine Phoenix King said nothing more. Casting a glance outside the stone hall, she flickered into motion and flew out, leaving behind indifferent words: "There are still some matters that require your attention. Follow me."
The demons exchanged glances. They had thought their mission was easily concluded, never expecting another twist.
None dared disobey Nine Phoenix King's orders, and they hurriedly followed.
Qin Sang felt helpless and could only continue to bide his time. However, he noticed Yuan Zhu lingering at the very rear, an unusual expression in his eyes.
"Fellow Daoist Yuan, is something the matter?" Qin Sang asked curiously.
Yuan Zhu shook his head and forced a smile. "I originally had an important matter to attend to, and now I don't know if I'll still have the time... *Sigh!*"
The two also hurried after the others, returning to the top of the hill.
Nine Phoenix King cast out several beams of flowing light. In the blink of an eye, the opening was restored to its original state, reinforced with a sturdy restriction to prevent cultivators from stumbling in by chance.
"Caiyi, where are the Nascent Soul cultivators among those human cultivators right now?"
Having set up the restriction, Nine Phoenix King questioned Fairy Caiyi beside her.
Fairy Caiyi replied, "Auntie Jiu, Fellow Daoist Gu Heng and I entered the moment the Hall of Seven Kills opened and conducted a careful probe. We discovered that a portion of the Nascent Soul cultivators from both races have entered the seventh floor of the Heaven Tower, including Lingzhuzi of the Tiandao Sect and the Witch Clan's Grand Shaman. Neither has emerged so far. The other Nascent Soul experts have scattered in all directions, though the Witch Clan cultivators almost all have humans openly tailing them. If Auntie Jiu intends to go to the Heaven Tower, you must exercise caution."
"We are not going to the Heaven Tower." Nine Phoenix King's gaze turned chillingly cold. "It is even better that Lingzhuzi and the Grand Shaman are in the Heaven Tower, so they do not interfere with my plans."
Fairy Caiyi took the lead, flying alongside Nine Phoenix King.
Nine Phoenix King deliberately slowed her evasion technique. She retrieved a topographical map, consulting Fairy Caiyi from time to time as though confirming something.
The demons remained silent, following closely behind.
Unexpectedly, before they had traveled far, a muffled rumble suddenly echoed ahead, like an earthquake. A moment later, amid the poisonous algae, a faint shockwave rippled toward them from up ahead.
The demons all froze.
"Did you notice anything when you came in?" Nine Phoenix King checked her streak of light, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly as she stared forward.
"No," Fairy Caiyi shook her head, puzzled. "Everything was normal on the way here, and we did not encounter any cultivators. Perhaps a restriction was accidentally triggered. Auntie Jiu, should we go take a look?"
Nine Phoenix King shook her head. "Forget it. What matters most is our main objective; let us not invite unnecessary complications."
The demons set off once more, though with greater caution.
Aside from that single tremor, nothing else seemed amiss.
Before long, they returned to the outer perimeter of Flower Immortal Lake and swept toward its exit.
Right at that moment, Nine Phoenix King seemed to sense something. She halted abruptly, frowning toward another direction of Flower Immortal Lake. Only then did Qin Sang and the others detect activity in the distance—faint beast roars and whistling sounds slicing through the air.
To everyone's surprise, Nine Phoenix King gazed in that direction for a brief moment before her figure flickered. She abruptly altered course and darted toward the source of the noise. Her evasion technique was astonishing, easily leaving Qin Sang and the others trailing in her wake.
The demons hurried to catch up.
When they finally caught up, they saw Nine Phoenix King clutching a cultivator by the throat with one hand. Beneath her, amid the toxic swamp, lay the corpse of a vicious beast.
The cultivator was still alive.
The panic on his face had not yet faded, and seeing so many more figures suddenly appear, he grew even more uneasy. He struggled to speak: "Th-thank you, Senior, for slaying this vicious beast and saving this junior's life. Junior is willing to..."
Before he could finish, the cultivator's eyes suddenly rolled back. His limbs twitched wildly, his face contorting in agony as strange, guttural rattling escaped his throat. Moments later, not a breath of life remained.
"Just as I thought!"
Nine Phoenix King tossed the cultivator's corpse aside, muttering to herself as a hint of delight surfaced on her face. Without another word, she darted forward once again.
Brimming with confusion, Qin Sang and the others took a hasty look at the dead cultivator and the beast before pursuing her. Qin Sang did not recognize the cultivator; what caught his attention was the beast's corpse.
The vicious beast resembled a black wolf, looking savage and menacing. This was the first time he had ever seen such a creature.
Before long, they crossed two ridges and beheld a surprising sight.
Atop a raised ridge stood several ancient wooden pagodas, the greater part of them submerged in the sea of poisonous algae, with only their spires poking out.
Between these ancient pagodas, several ancient wooden halls were interspersed in an orderly fashion, though they too were swallowed by the algae.
"This place was once somewhat renowned. The rare thing about it is that it sits on the outer edges of Flower Immortal Lake, where the toxicity is limited. Many cultivators explored it in the past, but over time, it was gradually neglected..."
Fairy Caiyi had studied Flower Immortal Lake thoroughly and recognized the area. Yet she did not understand why Nine Phoenix King had suddenly changed course to come here.
Sweeping her gaze across the area, Fairy Caiyi pointed toward a wooden hall. "Over there!"
The demons filed in one after another. Seeing that the hall's restriction had already been breached, they found Nine Phoenix King standing inside with her hands clasped behind her back, staring at a bare wall.
The wooden hall was completely empty, having been cleared of all contents. Had the walls not been protected by ancient restrictions, they certainly would have been torn down long ago.
"Auntie Jiu," Fairy Caiyi gazed at the wall in bewilderment, "could there be something more to this place?"
Nine Phoenix King nodded slightly. "We descendants of the Heavenly Phoenix are exceptionally keen at sensing spatial fluctuations. Just moments ago, I sensed something amiss. Only after soul searching did I learn that this cultivator had quite the stroke of luck—he managed to unlock an ancient restriction and discovered a place that seemingly has never been trodden by anyone."
"A restriction that has never been opened before? Right here?"
Fairy Caiyi was incredulous, her face lighting up with delighted surprise. "Auntie Jiu is truly blessed with profound fortune! You have only just entered the Hall of Seven Kills and already discovered a treasure land. If no cultivator has beaten us to it, there must be countless treasures within. I wonder what kind of secret realm it is? Did that vicious wolf run out from inside the restriction?"
Nine Phoenix King opened her palm, revealing a square seal carved from white jade. Grasping the jade seal, she pressed it lightly against the center of the wall. Immediately, ripples spread across the surface, ultimately revealing a moon gate leading to an unknown, desolate garden.
The desolate garden was likewise overgrown with poisonous algae; the scenery within bore a strong resemblance to the outside, stretching endlessly beyond sight.
Stepping through the moon gate, Nine Phoenix King's expression shifted slightly, and she warned, "It is entirely covered in poisonous algae! And the toxicity far exceeds that of the outside. Remember, you must not venture too deep."
The demons took a breath of surprise and readied their protective barriers before tentatively stepping through the moon gate.
Shockingly, the toxicity right at the entrance of the desolate garden rivaled that of the depths of Flower Immortal Lake. Those few who had taken the Thousand-Year Viper pills but possessed no other poison-dispelling methods dared not be careless, proceeding with utmost caution.
Only Qin Sang, Gu Heng, Fairy Caiyi, and Yuan Zhu maintained composed expressions.
Standing just beyond the moon gate, Qin Sang swept his gaze across the vast expanse of poisonous algae, an unexpected gleam appearing in his eyes. Upon entering this desolate expanse, the fat silkworm had suddenly stirred, transmitting a sensation of intense craving.
Since entering Flower Immortal Lake, the fat silkworm had remained quiet, leading him to believe there were no spirit herbs here that interested it. He had never expected to encounter one here.
Chapter 965